BC Hydro awards small hydro purchase agreement under Clean Power Call

Provincial utility BC Hydro has selected another hydropower project for an electricity purchase agreement through its Clean Power Call, bringing the total number of projects selected to 26.

BC Hydro has selected Castle Mountain Hydro's Benjamin Creek run-of-river hydro project for an EPA, BC Hydro reported. The hydropower project, located near McBride, has a capacity of 6 megawatts.

"The Clean Energy Act commits us to making British Columbia electricity self-sufficient by 2016, and this project is another step along that road," said Minister of Energy, Mines and Petroleum Resources Bill Bennett. "Clean, made-in-B.C. power has been the backbone of our economy for generations, and projects like this and others in the Clean Power Call will ensure that for decades to come our homes and economy will be powered by clean electricity generated locally in communities across the province."

In total, Clean Power Call projects will generate more than 3,200 GWh per year of clean electricity, enough to power more than 280,000 homes, reports indicate.